Commission Regulation (EU) No 915/2010 of 12 October 2010 concerning a coordinated multiannual control programme of the Union for 2011, 2012 and 2013 to ensure compliance with maximum levels of and to assess the consumer exposure to pesticide residues in and on food of plant and animal origin (Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 February 2005 on maximum residue levels of pesticides in or on food and feed of plant and animal origin and amending Council Directive 91/414/EEC⁽¹⁾, in particular Article 29 thereof,

Whereas:

1. By Commission Regulation (EC) No 1213/2008⁽²⁾ a first coordinated multiannual Community programme, covering the years 2009, 2010 and 2011, was established. That programme continued under Commission Regulation (EC) No 901/2009 of 28 September 2009 concerning a coordinated multiannual Community control programme for 2010, 2011 and 2012 to ensure compliance with maximum levels of and to assess the consumer exposure to pesticide residues in and on food of plant and animal origin⁽³⁾.

2. Thirty to forty foodstuffs constitute the major components of the diet in the Union. Since pesticide uses show significant changes over a period of 3 years, pesticides should be monitored in those foodstuffs over a series of 3-year cycles to allow consumer exposure and the application of European Union legislation to be assessed.

3. On the basis of a binomial probability distribution, it can be calculated that examination of 642 samples allows, with a certainty of more than 99 %, the detection of a sample containing pesticide residues above the limit of determination (LOD), provided that not less than 1 % of the products contain residues above that limit. Collection of these samples should be apportioned among Member States according to population numbers, with a minimum of 12 samples per product and per year.

4. Where the residue definition of a pesticide includes other active substances, metabolites or breakdown products, those metabolites should be reported separately where relevant.

5. Guidance concerning ‘Method Validation and Quality Control Procedures for Pesticide Residue Analysis in food and feed’ is published on the Commission website⁽⁴⁾. Member States should be allowed, under certain conditions, to use qualitative screening methods.

6. For the sampling procedures Commission Directive 2002/63/EC of 11 July 2002 establishing Community methods of sampling for the official control of pesticide residues in and on products of plant and animal origin and repealing Directive 79/700/EEC⁽⁵⁾ which incorporates the sampling methods and procedures recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission should apply.

7. It is necessary to assess whether maximum residue levels for baby food provided for in Article 10 of Commission Directive 2006/141/EC of 22 December 2006 on infant formulae and follow-on formulae and amending Directive 1999/21/EC⁽⁶⁾ and Article 7 of Commission Directive 2006/125/EC of 5 December 2006 on processed cereal-based foods and baby foods for infants and young children⁽⁷⁾ are respected, taking into account only the residue definitions as they are set out in Regulation (EC) No 396/2005.

8. It is also necessary to assess possible aggregate, cumulative and synergistic effects of pesticides. This assessment should start with some organophosphates, carbamates, triazoles and pyrethroides, as set out in Annex I.

9. Member States should submit by 31 August of each year the information concerning the previous calendar year.

10. In order to avoid any confusion due to an overlap between consecutive multiannual programmes, Regulation (EC) No 901/2009 should be repealed in the interest of legal certainty. It should, however, continue to apply to samples tested in 2010.

11. The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

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